“No killer anti-malaria drugs”

The briefing was prompted by the list of 42 banned anti-malaria medicines released by the Senate and said to be in circulation in hospitals and pharmacies and consumed by Nigerians.

According to report, the medications have been banned in Europe but were still in the Nigerian market.

Oni said: “We want to douse the tension and correct the misinformation on the social and mainstream media about the 42 anti-malarial medicines purportedly banned by the European Union but allegedly circulating in the country.

“It is pertinent to mention that the allegedly banned anti-malarial medicines are oral monotherapies containing single Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) such as Artesunate as contained in Arinate tablet.

“Others are Amodiaquine as contained in Camoquine, Dihydroartemisinin contained in Alaxin tablet and Pyrimethamine contained in Daraprim tablet.”

She advised Nigerians to use Artemisin Combination Therapies (ACTs) as they were the WHO’s recommended anti-malarial drugs.

“I wish to state categorically that these anti-malarial monotherapies are not recommended for treatment of malaria in Nigeria.